Buetow

Summary:
Three Jewish families lived in Buetow (present-day Bytow,
Poland) in the mid-18th century. Later, during the 19th
century, many Jews from impoverished West Prussia settled
in Buetow and established a sizable congregation. The town
was situated next to the border, therefore trade with Jews on
the Polish side flourished.
In 1856, the community consecrated a synagogue on
Synagogenstrasse (later renamed Muehlenstrasse), next to the
old post office. Despite its considerable size, the congregation
did not have its own rabbi, employing instead an official who
served as teacher, cantor and head of religious ceremonies.
Local Jews maintained a cemetery on Lazaretstrasse.
Toward the end of the 19th century, Jews made up 10%
of Buetow’s total population. A charitable sisterhood and a
literary club were active in the community.
After the outbreak of anti-Semitic riots in the early 20th
century, during which windows in apartments, stores and
the synagogue were repeatedly smashed, many Jews began to
leave the town and area. In 1925, the Jewish population of
Buetow was a mere 1.5% of the total population; by 1935,
as a result of the anti-Jewish boycott, all Jewish-owned
businesses had been bankrupted or sold.
On Pogrom Night, the synagogue was set on fire,
after which the building burned to the ground and the
remaining 40 (approximately) Jews were deported to the
East. Approximately 130 Buetow Jews perished during the
Nazi period.